Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockhead Martin Corp.

Brian Alan Pluymers

Doreen Marie Nixon

Khanh Nguyen

Marc Thomas Angelucci

Richard Joseph Teti

Daniel W Harris

Robert Michael Reese

Stuart R Ducker

Richard Johann Heinrich

Thomas E McGuigan

John Fraschilla

Amy S Levine

Robert Edward Hayes

Robert B Lewis

An antenna array lattice design is disclosed, comprising a plurality of column and row members that interconnect using a tongue and groove feature to result in a stable lattice arrangement. Each row and column member comprises a plurality of slots configured to receive corresponding slots of opposing row or column members. The slots have surfaces that run approximately one half the length or width of the associated member. The slot surfaces have recesses machined therein, and the recesses are shaped to accept correspondingly shaped projections of the opposing row or column member. In one embodiment, the recesses are T-shaped, as are the associated projections. The slots acts as a guide for the row to column attachment during assembly, while the precise geometry of the groove design allows both tensile and compressive forces to be carried across the entire depth of the joint, thus maximizing the stiffness/weight ratio of the resulting array lattice structure.

Fastener-less joint for radar array

An arrangement for clamping a flat plate to a flat surface includes juxtaposing the plate to the flat surface. An axially-movable wedging element defining a surface fitted with wedges is fixed against motion in other than a direction of elongation, and is forced to move in the direction of elongation. The wedges are forced against a first spring beam to impart forces thereto. The forces are coupled from the first spring beam to a second spring beam by intermediary supports. The second spring beam bears against a surface of the flat plate to force the plate against the flat surface.

Distributed load edge clamp

A quick fluid connector includes two mating portions. Leakage may occur during mating and demating. In order to contain such leakage, the mating portions of the connector are mounted on the distal end of a projecting boss and at the fundus of a matching well, respectively, so that the boss and well together define a chamber which surrounds the two mating portions of the quick connector. One or more drainage channels are coupled to the chamber to carry away leakage.

Quick fluid connector leakage containment

An array antenna has antenna subarray elements connected to antenna ports of an array of planar beamformer boards. The beamforming elements are mounted in integrated circuits which bridge the junctions between adjacent circuit boards.

Planar beamformer structure

An element support and thermal control arrangement for an active array antenna, preferably modular, using line-replaceable units (LRUs), includes a radiating-side liquid-cooled cold plate lying parallel with a liquid-cooled TR coldplate. Antenna elements are supported and cooled by the radiating cold plate, and a beamformer lies between the radiating and TR coldplates. A plurality of column coldplates are attached to the rear of the TR coldplate and define bays or volumes in which power LRUs can be fitted in thermal communication with the TR coldplate, the column coldplates, or both.

Antenna with compact LRU array

An arrangement for interconnecting RF ports on mutually parallel printed-circuit boards includes an arrangement of a ladder-shaped conductive foil or thin plate rolled to make a cylindrical inner conductor, and another arrangement of a ladder-shaped conductive foil rolled to make an outer conductor, with the ladder &ldquo;rungs&rdquo; being parallel to the axis of the interconnection. The rungs are long slender columns, which deflect laterally or &ldquo;bulge&rdquo; in response to axial forces. The inner and outer conductors are spaced apart by a dielectric solid material, preferably elastomeric.

Short coaxial transmission line and method for use thereof

A generally planar active array antenna includes a plurality of transmit-receive (TR) modules arrayed in an array direction on a generally planar heat-conducting baseplate of a line-replaceable unit (LRU). Heat is coupled from the TR modules to their associated baseplate. Each baseplate of an LRU has a straight edge parallel to the array direction of the modules. In a preferred embodiment, the modules are located adjacent the straight edge without significant intermediary components. The LRUs are arrayed with their straight edges lying in a plane. The straight edges are coupled to a generally planar cold plate for extracting heat from the baseplates. Since the heat is extracted in a direction orthogonal to the arraying direction of the modules, all the modules tend to have the same operating temperature. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the circulators associated with each TR module are mounted on the opposite side of the cold plate relative to the module, to thereby minimize the thermal path length between each module and the cold plate.

Low-temperature-difference TR module mounting, and antenna array using such mounting

Interconnections are made through a planar circuit by a monolithic short-circuited transmission path which extends from a circuit portion of the planar circuit to the opposite side. The opposite side is ground sufficiently to remove the short-circuiting plate, thereby separating the previously monolithic conductors, and exposing ends of the separated conductors of the transmission path. Connection is made between the exposed conductors of the transmission path and the registered contacts of a second planar circuit by means of electrically conductive, compliant fuzz buttons. The transmission path may be a coaxial path useful for RF.

Fabrication of a circuit module with a coaxial transmission line

Fabrication of circuit modules with a transmission line

Interconnections are made through a planar circuit by a monolithic short-circuited transmission path which extends from a circuit portion of the planar circuit to the opposite side. The opposite side is ground sufficiently to remove the short-circuiting plate, thereby separating the previously monolithic conductors, and exposing ends of the separated conductors of the transmission path. Connection is made between the exposed conductors of the transmission path and the registered contacts of a second planar circuit by way of electrically conductive, compliant fuzz buttons. The transmission path may be a coaxial path useful for RF.

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Haddonfield, NJ, United States of America

Brian Alan Pluymers